Audio of the 1986 opinion of the Supreme Court in Thornburg v. Gingles.

Back in 1986, the Court heard a case with circumstances that were almost identical to those in Merrill v. Milligan (2022). The case was Thornburg v. Gingles (pronounced with a "j") and the question before the Court was the same as it is in Merrill v. Milligan - whether the District Court erred by holding that a North Carolina redistricting plan unlawfully discriminated against blacks in six voting districts. The Court held that five of the six districts unlawfully diluted the power of the collective black vote. In Thornburg v. Gingles, the Court established three criteria to determine the validity of vote dilution claims like the one presented by the State of Alabama in Merrill v. Milligan. These criteria make up what is now known as the Gingles test.

Access this SCOTUS opinion with citations and other essential information at: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1985/83-1968

Music by Epidemic Sound